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Good DSLR camera...
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JerseyThursday
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Westchester, PA
 
2008-11-14, 07:44

...that is compatable with macs. I need some advice. I wanna buy one within the next six months. I want at least 10 mpxl or more but I don't wanna spend more than 700 dollars. I like the Olympus brands alot also the Nikon, I'm not sold on Canon yet. I will definately stay away from Minolta.

what do you guys have and would you reccomend it?
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drewprops
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2008-11-14, 07:46

cue Dorian's reply in 3, 2, 1......
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atomicbartbeans
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2008-11-14, 11:44

I really like Pentax's entry-level offering - every current Pentax DSLR has in-body shake reduction and a weather-sealed housing. Their kit lens, while still a kit lens, is more highly-regarded than anything from Nikon or Canon. The Pentax lens mount (K-mount) is compatible with millions of lenses made in the last 25 years, giving you an excellent used lens market to shop from.

Ergo, I'd check out the K200D. I have one and it's really great, although I haven't had the time to use it that much in school.

You ask me for a hamburger.
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psmith2.0
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2008-11-14, 11:51

My Dad just made the step into the digital world with a Nikon D90 (oddly, just one week before iPhoto and Aperture finally provided support for that model). It's pricey, but I know he was looking at the D60 as well.

The D60 is probably more in that price range. But he loves his, so I guess that's close enough (60 to 90)?
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PB PM
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2008-11-14, 13:43

Quote:
Originally Posted by JerseyThursday View Post
...that is compatable with macs. I need some advice. I wanna buy one within the next six months. I want at least 10 mpxl or more but I don't wanna spend more than 700 dollars. I like the Olympus brands alot also the Nikon, I'm not sold on Canon yet. I will definately stay away from Minolta.

what do you guys have and would you reccomend it?
The D80 body is cheap right now, they are in the $600 range. Is $700 your total budget including a kit lens? If so for Nikon your looking at a D40 or D60. Both are nice, light weight DSLRs.
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Dorian Gray
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Join Date: May 2005
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2008-11-15, 06:04

I'm a genie, drewprops!

All SLR cameras are compatible with Macs, because Macs are hugely popular with photographers both pro and amateur.

You say you want 10 megapixels, and most DSLRs have at least that pixel-count these days, but other things affect image quality to a greater degree. Lens quality is hugely important, as is dynamic range and signal-to-noise ratio. Technique is most important of all.

Olympus SLRs are based around the Four Thirds System, with smaller sensors than most of the competition. One of the benefits of this was supposed to be much smaller cameras and lenses, but that hasn't really come to fruition. However the lenses are very good, being purpose-designed for digital cameras with the Four Thirds sensor. The cameras are also excellent in terms of build-quality, value, and ergonomics. General image quality is excellent but the cameras have slightly more noise (grain) at high ISOs than the competition, and slightly less highlight range (meaning bright areas in the photograph are more likely to "blow": record as pure white with no detail). If you want an Olympus a good place to start would be the E-520 model, usually sold with one or two lenses in a kit.

Nikon make well-rounded cameras that have few obvious weaknesses, but they aren't the cheapest cameras (or lenses) on the market. However, they're strongest versus the competition in the $900 and up range (D90, D300, D700, D3), and the very bottom of the SLR market (D40). The D60 which straddles this range is an excellent camera, but arguably out-specced by models from all the major competitors: Canon, Pentax, Olympus and Sony. That said, I bought a D60 not long ago, because I see little value in Live View (being able to compose photos on the rear display, like a point-and-shoot camera, rather than only with the optical viewfinder), and because I really wanted the Nikon F-mount for the wide range of older and third-party lenses that provides.

The Nikon D90 that pscates2.0's dad has is of particular interest because it's the cheapest DSLR that can shoot video (and it shoots High Definition video no less). It's also an extremely impressive camera in its own right, but it's not $700.

Canon make a wide range of appealing cameras from entry-level to ultra-high-end. Their cameras are known for their great sensors, with low noise and good dynamic range. However in the last year or so the competition has closed the gap and in some models exceeded Canon's sensor performance. Because a large part of Canon's competitiveness was based on their sensors, Canon perhaps didn't develop the rest of the camera (ergonomics, metering, useful new features, etc.) as aggressively as they should have. The low-cost Canon SLRs feel decidedly cheap, even though they provide superb photographic results.

Pentax make great cameras and lenses although they don't have as wide a range of options as some others. They're aimed more at photography enthusiasts than casual snappers, with fewer gimmicks and more concentration on things that appeal to experienced photographers, like weather-sealing, good build quality, and excellent prime (fixed focal length) lenses.

Minolta no longer exist, having been bought out by Sony. The Sony DSLRs build on the Minolta heritage, with the same lens mount (for compatibility with old Minolta lenses) and a strong emphasis on innovation and value for money. The system is still in rapid development, and is likely to become a serious competitor to Canon and Nikon at the high-end in the next year or two. Their entry-level cameras are loaded with features and priced extremely aggressively, to help Sony gain market share in this new arena.

Go to the websites of the manufacturers and have a look their marketing blurb, then check prices on B&H or Amazon to get an idea of what you can afford. If a model catches your eye, check out a review of it at DPReview. If you're unsure of the usefulness of a particular feature come back here and we'll put you straight in short order.

… engrossed in such factional acts as dreaming different dreams.
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drewprops
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Join Date: May 2004
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2008-11-15, 08:45

I had no idea that Sony bought Minolta!!

I have an old Minolta X-700 with a couple of good lenses (I think one went up to a 300mm zoom) buried in storage somewhere. Maybe I can overcome the leeriness I have for Sony's proprietary methods if it means that I'll walk right into having some nice lenses at my disposal.

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PB PM
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2008-11-15, 13:36

IMO, for someone with no SLR experience, something like the Olympus E520, Nikon D40/D60, Canon XS or Sony A300/350 are the models to look at. The price of these isn't too high, and the kit lenses aren't bad on any of them. The new Sony's, spec wise look very nice, but they feel cheap IMO, at least in the consumer range. Same could be said for the Canon offerings in the consumer range, but Sony and Canon do have a lot of features that Nikon, for example doesn't have with the D40 or D60.

The best advice I've ever seen is, go to the store and try them out. Find out which ones are the most comfortable in your hand. If you don't find it comfortable, it wont matter how much higher the specs are compared to the competition, because you wont like using it.
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iFerret
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2008-11-24, 00:44

I'm no pro photographer, but I follow the SLR market quite a bit.

Personally, I don't like Pentax, Olympus, Samsung, Panasonic or Sony that much. I like them, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend them to a beginner. Olympus, for example has some fantastic zoom lenses - but the Four Thirds system has some drawbacks (what Dorian Gray said).

Anyway it's a tough decision. Sony's cameras have really great bang for buck, but the Sony lens system (not including Minolta lenses) is underdeveloped and expensive. Sony's cameras also suffer from worse high ISO noise performance compared to Canon and Nikon.

Nikon's D40/D40x/D60 are lacking some features - like being able to autofocus older lenses. But that's not really a biggie for a beginner. I would be more concerned with the lack of focus points.

Canon's offerings seem to be good value for money, but I don't personally love Canon's ergonomics. They are a bit pricier than the others too in my experience.

Nikon and Canon have the widest, largest, most expansive lens systems - but there's some real junk in there (especially on Canon's part ).

Of course, they're all good. I'll echo the idea of going and trying them.
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GSpotter
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Join Date: May 2004
Location: A small town near Wolfsburg, Germany
 
2008-11-30, 13:20

Quote:
Originally Posted by JerseyThursday View Post
I want at least 10 mpxl or more
Why? High Megapixel values are no indicator for a better camera. The more Megapixels, the more memory card and hard drive space do you need together with a more powerful computer if you want to edit your pictures.

I have a 'professional' 4 MP DSLR (a Nikon D2Hs). You can print 12x18" with that camera without problems. More Megapixels are only needed if you want to print even bigger or if you often cannot fill the whole frame with the subject so you have to crop (e.g. if you are a bird photographer). If you put your pictures on the web, you don't need that many MPs anyway (Here are some shots from my D2Hs).

As an addition to the suggestions already given: Did you consider a used camera? As there were many people who upgraded from a Nikon D200 to a D300, there are lots of D200's for sale and therefore the prices are relatively low. (Although a D80 might be better suited for a beginner)

My photos @ flickr
The man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either. -- Benjamin Franklin
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PB PM
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2008-11-30, 20:13

Agreed, megapixels aren't that important for basic photography. I consider having 10MP on my D80 more than enough, considering RAW files are around 10-15MB each. Main reason to get the D80 over say a used D70, for me was the ability to crop. I shoot birds a lot, and as GSpotter noted, being able to crop is a big deal for that kind of photography.
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